Danish ambassador Flemming Stender visited Svilengrad, where he was welcomed by mayor Anastas Karchev, an architect, the municipality said. His visit coincided with a concert and an exhibition at the "Prosveta 1870" chitalishte (community cultural centre) marking 95 years since Bulgaria and Denmark set up diplomatic relations.

The ambassador was joined by Karl-Emil Fjelerup Madsen, an intern on political and economic affairs, and Aneliya Raycheva, a consular officer at the embassy.

"Danish Fairy Tales for String Quartet" is a Bulgarian music project inspired by Scandinavian folklore, Nordic legends and the tales of Hans Christian Andersen. The exhibition "Denmark – Contemporary Art and Ancient Wisdom" presents Danish proverbs and what they teach about life and relations between people today.

Before the exhibition opened, the mayor and the ambassador talked about how Svilengrad is developing, the pros and cons of being a border town, and sport. On the environment, they discussed the municipality's membership of the European zero waste network and the growth of separate waste collection. Cycling got special attention. It is traditionally popular in Denmark and is also one of Svilengrad's main sports.

Earlier in the day, the guests toured the town. The route followed the Historical Museum "History and Memory", and its director, Elena Miteva, showed them around. They passed the monuments to heroes in the City Park, the Red School, the Holy Trinity church and the Old Bridge over the Maritsa. The ambassador said he was pleased with what he saw. The museum displays on silk and on the Balkan War drew the most interest.

The mayor gave Stender a local wine from the area around the village of Dimitrovche. In return, the ambassador gave Karchev the "Anthology of Danish Poetry", with works from the 17th century to today. The municipal library and the "Prosveta 1870" chitalishte each received a copy, so that Danish literature can reach more readers.

At the opening of the exhibition, Stender received a painting, an interpretation of the old bridge over the Maritsa. Its author is a former pupil of the art school at the chitalishte in Svilengrad.